The portrait medallions represent George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who fought with the colonists during the American Revolution.

After the Treaty of Paris in 1783, when Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States, trade between the two parties resumed. English ceramic manufacturers capitalized on American patriotism by producing wares that depicted American heroes and other nationalistic designs. Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795), founder of the Wedgwood factory, was sympathetic with the Americans before and during the Revolution. Not outspoken enough to voice his opinion during the war, he did create pieces like this jardiniere, giving intense attention to detail as a form of quiet support.